The joy of specs: How to find the right glasses

Wearing glasses has never been so cool and so chic. Celebrities are embracing specs, and proudly wear them by day, on and off duty, and even at red carpet events. Daniel Day Lewis’ wife, Rebecca Miller, was spotted wearing them at the Golden Globes awards. It goes without saying that spectacles are now a fashion statement for both men and women — a must have accessory for most wardrobes. I recently found myself in need of a new pair of glasses. My old pair was looking very sad and ineffective. A trip to my local optician, Richard Hughes in Galway, with its array and style choices and professional team, and I found the perfect pair; a Danish label Prodesign pair that I love and intend to wear for a very long time. When choosing the right glasses for your face shape, despite the obvious fact that they should correct your vision, you should consider the following: The frame shape should contrast with your face shape; the frame size should be in scale with the size of your face and features. As with clothes, it is all about balance. Remember the simple rule: proportionally match the size of the glasses to the size of your face and your features, but choose a frame shape that is opposite your face shape; in other words, play against your facial contours. A round face will look more balanced with rectangular frames. Someone with a strong jawline or sharp features should opt for glasses with softer lines or rounded edges. Wide arms make the forehead look narrower. Although all people are unique and have different shaped faces and features, here are the basic face shapes and what type of glasses suit them best. Simply find out which face shape you are and pick the glasses that suit your shape best. An angular face needs frames to soften the angles of the face and give the illusion of a longer face, such as an oval frame with more width than depth, which arches upwards at the sides. A cat’s eye style is a very popular choice for 2013.

To make a round face more balanced and defined, a narrow rectangle frame will elongate and slim down the face. An upswept frame will draw the attention on the upper half of the face. An oval face is characterised by balanced proportions. Most frames will work on you. Keep the balanced proportions and avoid frames that are too big or too small for your features. Softly angular frames complement an oval face.

A pair or airy, rimless glasses will lighten up the wider portions of a heart-shaped face. You can even choose frames with detailing on the lower rims to focus attention on the lower half of the face. To balance out an oblong face (long and narrow in shape), choose wide frames to add width and roundness to the face. Decorative or contrasting temples add width to the face. You should also get the colour of the frames right. It needs to enhance and complement your skin, eyes, and hair. This is down to your individual features but, as a general guideline, if your skin tone is warm you are more likely to look your best in frames that are camel, khaki, gold, copper, coral, off-white, wine, or warm blue. If you have a cool complexion then opt for silver, rose-brown, blue-grey, plum, magenta, pink, jade, or blue. Spectacles can be an easy way to showcase your different moods and styles and show of your individuality. This goes for men as well. They can appear extremely sharp with the right pair of glasses, whether for business or leisure.

As regards eyewear trends for 2013, we have seen on the catwalk the reinvention of the cat’s eye, with streamlined shapes and patterns, and this look has been adopted by celebrities such as Katie Perry. The retro rounded shape is another strong trend; this is more difficult to wear but can make a real statement. Minimalism is dominant this season but this time it has an edge — coloured arms, from ultra bright red to lime green or subtle patterns. Statement frames are probably the most talked about. Think thick contoured frames in neutral shades, or bold and bright hues. Don’t be afraid to opt for colours and styles that are different, as long as they truly flatter you and help you feel confident and make a personal statement.

Fendi

Prodesign

Yours in style!

Delilah X

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